Chapter 288 Not Just for Shoes

Yang Chen chatted with Qiangwei as he tidied up some simple matters in the office. Glancing at the clock on his computer, it wasn't yet lunchtime. He stood up and said, "Let's go, let's take a stroll outside. Today, I won't sit in the office; I'll spend the whole day playing with my Qiangwei."

Qiangwei was slightly surprised. "The whole day?"

Yang Chen grinned. "What, are you not happy spending a day with your old husband?"

"It's not that," Qiangwei smiled, "It's just unexpected that you would have a whole day to spend with me."

Yang Chen felt a pang of guilt. How could he not, considering his reputation? All these women around him—indebted to him in so many ways.

After leaving the company with Qiangwei and getting into Yang Chen's car, Qiangwei asked the Redbud Society attendants who had come along to go back first. After all, with Yang Chen around, there was no need to worry about enemies or rivals.

"Where are we going?" Qiangwei asked excitedly after fastening her seatbelt.

Yang Chen thought for a moment. "It's freezing outside in the dead of winter, and there's not much to see in the city. How about I take you shopping at the mall? I know you don't need clothes, but I doubt any woman would refuse something like that."

Sure enough, Qiangwei's eyes sparkled. Even a formidable underworld boss couldn't resist the allure of a shopping mall.

Because it was Monday morning, there weren't many people at the mall. Yang Chen took Qiangwei to the renowned Golden Palm Tower in Zhonghai, known for its upscale international brands. It wasn't a place where ordinary citizens came to shop for clothes; instead, it was perfect for a quiet date and leisurely stroll.

Although they had known each other for nearly a year and were already intimate, it was Qiangwei's first time shopping at a mall with her beloved man. This made her particularly excited and radiant. Holding onto Yang Chen's arm, they rode the elevator to the ground floor of the tower, where the glamorous fashion apparel around them seemed secondary. Qiangwei thoroughly enjoyed this time alone with Yang Chen.

The mall remained peaceful, with hardly any customers around, and the sales assistants greeted them with respectful smiles as they passed by.

Yang Chen couldn't help but laugh at Qiangwei, who seemed to have reverted to her teenage years. "If your little brothers saw you like this, I doubt they'd ever be able to respect you again."

"What does it matter? Anyway, I'll be stepping down from the president's position soon and becoming a legitimate entertainment company owner. It would be better for Rong Rong to earn their respect," Qiangwei said nonchalantly.

"So you're planning to hand over the position to Rong Rong so soon?" Yang Chen asked.

Yang Chen hadn't expected that Chen Rong, who had coincidentally arrived at Zhonghai, would one day be supported by Qiangwei to take over the president's throne of the Redbud Society. Although he knew Chen Rong had progressed rapidly and was naturally bright, Qiangwei's idea of retiring at her peak was somewhat unexpected.

"In fact, I've always had this idea—to integrate the legitimate and illegitimate businesses of the Redbud Society into a formal corporation and then transform it into a publicly traded company. In that case, the position of Redbud Society president wouldn't suit someone steering a corporation," Qiangwei explained.

Yang Chen suddenly understood and reached out to gently stroke Qiangwei's delicate cheek. "So you want to become the chairman of a publicly traded company. I was thinking, even if Rong Rong is capable of managing the Redbud Society, how can you expect the people below to follow her lead once you're gone?"

Qiangwei pouted. "I'm doing this so that one day, I can completely leave that circle. At least now, I can openly be with you, stand in front of everyone, and face all the scrutiny without any reservations."

"I've told you, I don't care about your background in the underworld," Yang Chen frowned. "Stop blaming yourself; it annoys me."

"I know you don't care, but I do," Qiangwei murmured. "Anyway, I've been doing this for our future and the future of the Redbud Society. Husband, just don't worry about it."

Yang Chen sighed helplessly and decided not to dwell on this topic any longer. He took Qiangwei into the nearest Prada boutique, and they leisurely began browsing.

Founded in 1913, Prada's products had been cherished and admired by the upper echelons of European society, including royalty and nobility, for their exquisite traditional craftsmanship combined with avant-garde elements, making them highly coveted and valuable over the years.

Yang Chen, despite not having much money on him these days, at least had over a million in savings. Leading Qiangwei to browse such stores, he wasn't afraid of ending up embarrassingly relying on Qiangwei to pay the bill.

Qiangwei was also wealthy and didn't flinch at the five-figure price tags lining the boutique. When she approached the display of the new "Prada Fiocchetto" autumn-winter women's shoes, her gaze was instantly drawn to a pair of deep red pointed-toe high heels adorned with a butterfly bow.

The attentive and respectful sales assistant, who had been quietly trailing them, stepped forward with a smile. "Miss, these Fiocchetto shoes are perfect for your elegant and noble temperament. They are this year's new release, featuring crocodile skin texture and classic embroidered patterns reminiscent of the street fashion trends of the 1950s. They are exceptionally stylish when paired with black and a knee-length thick skirt. There are fewer than twenty pairs of these shoes globally this season, a limited edition collector's item. We only received one pair, and if you like them, I suggest not missing this opportunity."

Qiangwei asked calmly, "How much?"

The shoes were not priced, suggesting their value fluctuated with market demand. The sales assistant checked on the computer and smiled, "Miss, the current market price is 110,000 Yens."

Upon hearing "110,000," even Qiangwei, who was affluent, turned abruptly and frowned. "Are you sure? 110,000? Regular Fiocchetto shoes cost around 10,000, right?"

The sales assistant remained humble and smiled, "I'm sure, Miss. These shoes gained considerable acclaim at a recent birthday celebration for a newly crowned princess in England, making them highly sought after in high society circles."

Qiangwei hesitated. Despite her admiration for the deep red color that matched her style, she found it extravagant to spend 110,000 on a pair of shoes, even though she had the means.

"Do you like them?" Yang Chen asked with a smile.

Qiangwei pursed her lips. "Hmm, the color and pattern are really beautiful, but 110,000 is too expensive. The most expensive pair of shoes I have isn't over 20,000."

"Then I'll buy them for you," Yang Chen said.

Qiangwei hesitated for a moment, then shook her head. "It's okay, husband. It's not worth spending so much on a pair of shoes, unnecessarily."

"It's not about the shoes; it's about you," Yang Chen smiled, casually pulling out his own bank card and handing it to the sales assistant. "I'll take these."

Upon hearing Yang Chen's reasoning, Qiangwei felt a sweet warmth in her heart. She couldn't help but tiptoe and kiss Yang Chen on the cheek.

Watching Qiangwei so content, Yang Chen sighed softly. "I rarely have time to be with you. Today is a rare occasion, and you accepting this gift makes me feel better."

The sales assistant, who had thought Yang Chen was an ordinary man, was amazed to see him purchase the most expensive shoes in the store without hesitation. After murmuring, "Miss, you're so lucky," the assistant immediately went to swipe the card and fetch the shoes.

Once the transaction was done, Yang Chen received the deep red butterfly-adorned shoes. He couldn't help but inwardly chuckle at how easy it was to spend a woman's money. Despite not seeing anything particularly special about the shoes, he had just spent 110,000 Yens. If he weren't so indifferent to money, he would have found it challenging. No wonder men detested accompanying women on shopping trips; it was painful for both legs and wallets.

Before Qiangwei could fully appreciate the shoes, Yang Chen took them and said, "Come, sit on the bench."

He led Qiangwei to a sofa near the store entrance where customers could rest. Perplexed, Qiangwei looked at Yang Chen. "Husband, what are you doing?"

Yang Chen crouched down, took hold of Qiangwei's slender leg, and looked up with a smile. "Since I bought these expensive shoes, I won't be satisfied until you try them on for me."

Blushing, Qiangwei finally understood that Yang Chen intended to help her remove her boots and put on the new shoes himself.

Yang Chen removed one of Qiangwei's boots and held her delicate foot in his hand, gently squeezing it. "Qiangwei, darling, your feet are so cute. Next time, don't use your hands for massages; your feet are much more adorable."

In front of several store employees, Qiangwei had her boot removed and her foot gently massaged. She felt a mix of joy and embarrassment, a complex blend of emotions that was hard to put into words.

"Husband, please stop. Everyone's watching," Qiangwei said anxiously, biting her lip.

Yang Chen smirked. "What are you afraid of? They don't know us."

He then took the new winter shoes and carefully and softly slipped them onto Qiangwei's feet, fitting perfectly.

With her legs adorned in black stockings, the deep red butterfly-decorated shoes looked graceful and light.

"These shoes are really worth it. It seems they were waiting for you to appear," Yang Chen commented, showing a certain appreciation despite having seen so many luxury items before.

As Rose watched the man before her carefully slip on the delicate red stiletto onto her foot, she felt her heart melting. This romantic scene, which she had never even dreamed of before, was unfolding right before her eyes.

Yang Chen picked up the other shoe, intending to do the same for Rose. However, as he was about to remove Rose's other boot, several women in professional suits appeared around the corner of the store ahead.

Among them, a young woman dressed in a simple yet elegant black suit, with her hair neatly tied up, exuded an otherworldly grace as she led the group. The other women seemed to be her accompanying staff, explaining something to her.

The moment Yang Chen saw this woman, his body stiffened, and his movements came to a halt. Perplexed, Rose turned to look at the approaching group of women. When she saw the stunning woman leading them, she couldn't help but slightly part her lips in surprise.

That woman, though Rose was seeing her for the first time, she instantly recognized from the information she had researched - it was Lin Ruoxi!